In The News

U.S. Navy which took part in the evacuation of Americans and Vietnamese from South Vietnam a few days ago are leaving the area – heading east. North Vietnam had demanded that all U.s. ships leave waters off the Vietnamese coast. Over 30,000 were evacuated.

President Ford extends parole authority to permit about 30,000 more South Vietnamese refugees, no sailing the South China Sea to enter the United States.

Looks like 70,000 Vietnamese refugees coming to the U.S. may be processed through Camp Pendleton in Southern California.

The Viet Cong say that Communist forces had won ‘total victory” in South Vietnam with the surrender of all remaining military forces and provinces. Thousands of civilians joined Communist tanks and troops in a May Day victory parade through Saigon.

Unemployment is way up – The nation’s unemployment last month was the highest since 1941 – 8.9%. Alan Greenspan, chairman of President Ford’s Council of Economic Advisers told the congressional Joint Economic Committee that despite the latest figures, “we are approaching the end of the recession. We may well wallow on the bottom for a while, then we will head up.”

Supermarket profits last year hit their highest level since 1971, according to an industry survey. But, owners complain that the 4.1% margin is below those of other industries.

North Vietnam opens its border to the South Vietnamese for the first time since the division of the country in 1954 and has launched reconstruction programs that would include building new highways, linking the north and the south.

The White House says intercepted Cambodian radio transmissions indicated that about 80 or 90 Cambodian officers and their wives had been killed by the Khmer Ruge since the fall of Phnom Penh. Press Secretary Ron Nessen said President Ford was “deeply bothered” by the reports and particularly the killing of the wives.

On an interview taped for the “Today” show – Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said the United States probably made a mistake by turning Vietnam into “a test case” for U.s. policy. He also indicated in the interview that American troops should never have been sent to Vietnam.

President Ford, soliciting support of his $507 million refugee relocation program for Indochinese, told republican congressional leaders “It makes me damn mad” that some Americans oppose the humanitarian effort.

Retired Adm. Elmo Zumwalt tells the press that the Nixon administration failed to tell Congress about a secret agreement with South Vietnamese president Nguyen Van Thieu promising the United States would “respond vigorously” if Hanoi violated the Paris peace accords.

Karen Silkwood death - The FBI says it has found no evidence of foul play in the death of Karen Silkwood – a worker at the Kerr-McGee’s Crescent plutonium plant who died in a car wreck Nov 13. The FBI’s finding back up an Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigation that discounts allegations that Ms. Silkwood’s had been forced off the road. She died when her car crashed into a culvert near Crescent, Oklahoma. She was en route to a meeting with a New York Times reporter and a union representative to discuss safety conditions at the plant.

President Ford crowns his daughter Susan (17) as queen of the Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival in Winchester, VA.

Fascinating Business news – May 1, 1975

Adolph Coors Co brewer of Coors beer and owned solely by the Coors family since its founding in 1973 announces its first public stock offering. Coors is the country’s fourth largest brewer and markets its only brand, Coors, solely in 1 Western states.

Entertainment/Celebrity news – May 1, 1975

Passing – Moe Howard (78) – The last of the original Three Stooges. Of cancer. He is survived by his wife, Helen; a daughter, Mrs. Joan Mauer: a son Paul of New York City and three grandchildren.

Steve Allen’s son living in commune - Comedian Steve Allen visits his son and grandchildren who are living in a Washington state commune. Allen’s son, who took the name Logic Israel when he joined the commune, is one of the longtime members of the Love Family Groups, which has several houses on Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill. Love Israel, a leader of the group, has said women are on earth to serve men. Allen said he was fine with his son – “If it was reasonable and productive for him, it was fine by me.” … “If they pass a law saying everyone had to do this, it would be deplorable On the other hand, if they pass a law saying a woman could never wash another dish, that would be just as deplorable.”

Vice President Rockefeller says he loves the TV shows “Cher” and “Mannix.” “Columbo, he’s great… How do you think I know all this stuff about the CIA?”

Playing in Las Vegas –

Sammy Davis Jr. – Caesars Palace

Juliet Prowse/Foster Brooks – Desert Inn

Sandler and Young – Flamingo

Wayne Newton – Frontier

Gladys Knight and the Pips – Hilton

Smothers Brothers/Olivia Newton-John – Riviera

Jerry Lewis – Sahara

Phyllis Diller – Sands

Television news – May 1, 1975

NBC’s Tomorrow Show w/Tom Snyder will be extended to six hours and will live from the end of the Tonight to the beginning of the Today Show on the morning of July 4, to usher in America’s Bicentennial celebration.

ABC drops its entire Friday night line-up of Kolchak, Hot l Baltimore, Odd Couple and Get Christie Love. Also canceled – Karen, Caribe and Kung Fu. It’s also dropping both 90-minute “Movie of the Week” presentations and instead, some 25 new two-hour TV movies will be produced for ABC next season.